Morocco says ‘Arab spring' can end suddenly Morocco's foreign minister is warning that the current “Arab spring” can quickly end if the transitions in Egypt and Tunisia don't lead to real democracy. Taieb Fassi-Fihri says he plans to tell U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at a meeting Wednesday in Washington that the Group of Eight major industrialized countriesshould launch a new initiative to ensure that democratic principles and institutions are entrenched in Tunisia and Egypt. In an interview Tuesday evening with the Associated Press, he said Morocco is “very enthusiastic” about the “Arab spring.” But he cautioned that the Arab world has a mix of political systems from monarchies to political dictators to one-party systems, and there are risks. Daimler makes move to Algeria The expansion of the production lines of German auto maker Daimler into markets that provide a better economic environment was crowned today by the announcement regarding a new assembly facility which will be erected in Rouiba, Algeria. Daimler, together with its investor Aabar, announced today that they have reached an agreement with the Algerian government that will see the Arab investment fund setting up a joint venture with the Algerian government in Rouiba. The company formed by the two will be in charge with managing the assembly facility, while the German auto maker will be responsible with supplying vehicle parts for the trucks and buses to be built there. The financial aspects of the new deal were not announced, nor were the exact models which will be produced at the new assembly facility. US gives $20 million to support Tunisian democracy The Obama administration says it is providing $20 million to support the democratic transition in Tunisia following a popular uprising that ousted the North African country's longtime autocratic leader in January and emboldened anti-government protesters across the Middle East. The State Department announced Tuesday that the money will go to help draft a new constitution, strengthen political parties and non-partisan civic groups, develop a framework for free and fair elections, create a professional and independent news media and encourage economic reforms. Tunisia's revolt was a catalyst for the unrest that is now sweeping the Arab world. The U.S. is concerned that the revolutions may be hijacked by extremists or anti-democratic forces. Militia kills five in Sudan's oil-rich region Sudanese militia have attacked a village in the disputed Abyei region, killing five people and adding to North-South tensions in the oil-producing area as South Sudan prepares for independence later this year. The top official in the region blamed the Arab Misseriya tribe allied to the North. “Their intention is just to depopulate the area, to terrorize the civilians so that they leave,” said Deng Arop, from the pro-South Dinka Ngok tribe. A spokeswoman from the UN peacekeeping mission confirmed the attack but could not say who the attackers were. BM
